Matched
| Matched | |
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Author |
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Series |
Matched Trilogy, book 1 |
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Publisher |
Dutton Books |
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Publication Date |
2010 |
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Pages |
369 |
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ISBN |
0525423648, 9780525423645 |
Matched is a 2010 young adult dystopian novel by Ally Condie. It is the first book in the Matched Trilogy.
Contents |
[edit] Inspiration and Origins
Condie has stated that the book was partially inspired by a conversation with her husband, an economist, about the idea of the government algorithmically matching marriage partners. Condie also had the experience of chaperoning a high school prom, a setting that inspired the book's "Match Ball."[1]
[edit] Plot
[edit] Themes
Freedom of choice (or the lack of it) is a major theme in the book Matched, which is set in a world where life's major choices are made by an organization called The Society. In a 2010 interview, Condie said '[S]ometimes it feels like happiness and freedom don't go hand in hand. Freedom means tough choices, living with consequences. But is true happiness possible without also knowing hardship and despair? I don't think so. I think you have to have both sides of the coin."[2]
William Morris wrote a blog essay called "Correlation, Top Tens and Ally Condie's Matched," in which he compared the restrictions of the fictional Matched society with the LDS correlation program which standardizes the materials available for religions education.[3]
[edit] Publication
Matched was published by Penguin, who won an auction against six other publishers to acquire the rights to the trilogy for a reported seven figures. Foreign publication rights to the book also sold in 30 other countries before the book's release.[1]
[edit] Critical Reception
Matched received generally positive reviews from critics. Publishers Weekly praised its "enthralling and twisty dystopian plot"[4] and Courtney Jones (writing for Booklist) noted its "stunning clarity and attention to detail."[5]
Matched was also well received by the Mormon literary community, winning both a Whitney Award and an AML Award. The AML Award praised Condie for creating "a 'perfect' society that is both convincing and disturbing" and "recognizable characters that one can't help but care about."[6]
[edit] Awards
2010 Whitney Award for Youth Fiction—Speculative
2010 AML Award for Young Adult Fiction
2011 ARTY Award for Best Local Dystopia
[edit] References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lodge, Sally. "Ally Condie's 'Matched' Makes Auspicious Debut." publishersweekly.com, December 9, 2010.
- ↑ "Interview with Ally Condie." Y.A. Reads Book Reviews, November 24, 2010.
- ↑ Morris, Wm. "Correlation, Top Tens and Ally Condie's Matched." A Motley Vision, March 24, 2011.
- ↑ "Matched." Publishers Weekly, vol. 257, issue 39 (October 4, 2010). p. 49.
- ↑ Jones, Courtney. "Matched." Booklist, vol. 107, issue 2 (September 15, 2010). p. 72.
- ↑ 2010 AML Award: Young Adult Literature
[edit] External Links
- www.matched-book.com (official series website)
- Matched in association with Amazon.com
